Urgent Applications

From time to time, it is necessary to have a dispute decided more quickly than usual. This could arise if your dispute is about an urgent issue, where there is a threat of damage or injury to person or property, health and safety issues, or where parties will suffer severe personal or financial hardship if something is not dealt with urgently.

In such a case, you must tell ACAT about your need for urgent orders and make an urgent application using the form entitled “Application for Interim or Other Orders”. You should explain what orders are needed and why the matter is urgent.

An urgent hearing will usually be listed within 1 to 7 working days depending on the nature of the urgency and the availability of a Tribunal member.

How do I make an urgent application?

If there is no existing matter before the Tribunal, you should file the usual application, for whatever it is you want, and at the same time file complete an application for interim or other orders setting out clearly the reasons why the matter should be dealt with urgently.

If you already have an application pending or part heard before the Tribunal, you need only file the application for interim or other orders.

It is advisable, though not compulsory, for you to file any evidence you want to rely on when you file the application, such as statements from third parties, or evidence that a party is about to leave the ACT, or a medical certificate, or letters from creditors or mortgage providers. ACAT understands that this might not be available to you, but it will save time and help the member making the decision if the material is available immediately.

You should tell the counter officer that you are requesting an urgent listing. The counter officer will bring your matter to the Registrar's attention, and a decision will be made about the urgency of the matter. How quickly this will happen will depend on the availability of the Registrar and the number of matters that the counter officer has to handle. Please make sure that ACAT has your correct contact details, including phone, mobile phone, and work contacts, email and fax if appropriate.